Chapter 2: The Rustling Forest

Vanitas had half-expected Aqua to be gone by morning, but it looked like she'd decided to stick around. A small part of him appreciated that she saw him as the lesser of two evils compared to the other monsters of the Dark World. The other part of him felt insulted that she didn't take him seriously as a threat.

While he still felt the need to watch her to make sure she didn't get killed by a stray Heartless, Aqua was doing a pretty good job of defending herself so far. It seemed food and rest had done her some good. Color was returning to her cheeks and her eyes didn't look nearly so grey and lifeless. Vanitas was rather glad for it. Dull colors didn't suit her. Aqua would be at full strength soon; strong enough to merge her heart with his.

Perhaps it wasn't really so surprising that she'd chosen to stay. The Castle of Dreams was the safest place the Dark World had to offer, at least from what he'd seen. Of course, just because the Castle was relatively safe, didn't mean it didn't have its fair share of vermin.

Vanitas and Aqua spent the morning clearing out Heartless from the first and second floors. They were mostly Shadows and Flutterings, but the occasional snaggletoothed Darkball made its appearance. No higher-grade Heartless like the Dark Thorn stalked the halls. Overall, pretty boring. It was made worse by the fact that Aqua refused to speak to him, just following him around like a living shadow. Vanitas could've lived with that except for her constant 'hmm' noises and the glances she sent his way, as if she wanted to ask him something.

Maybe he should rescind his 'no questions' rule, though she had broken it so many times already he didn't know why she was being so tight-lipped now. Vanitas could feel Aqua's eyes boring into his back. Red Hot Chilis of Irritation burned under his skin, itching for their chance at freedom. Vanitas considered letting them out, but didn't want her attacking him or running off.

Finally, he got fed up of her constant stares and confronted her about it as she passed him on the way to the kitchen.

"Spit it out," he snarled.

"Excuse me?"

"You wanna ask me something, so spit. It. Out."

Aqua shot him a look of irritation. "What did you mean before, about Ven being a Keyblade?"

She was still on that, was she? Maybe he should just tell her. It wasn't like she could do anything about something that'd already happened.

Vanitas rolled his eyes, not that she could see through his mask. "Not a Keyblade. The X-Blade. Legendary weapon, the Ultimate Key, opens a Door to All Worlds, Kingdom fucking Hearts; ring a bell?"

Aqua frowned thoughtfully. "…That weapon you had when you possessed Ven. That was the 'X-Blade'?"

"Yeah, although it was incomplete, seeing as Ventus didn't wanna cooperate. And I didn't 'possess' anybody. That's Xehanort's thing, not mine," he corrected.

"It looked like possession to me."

Vanitas snorted. "Yeah well, you're an idiot."

Aqua crossed her arms. She looked ready to argue.

"Fine, you want me to spell it out for you? I didn't possess Ventus 'cause I am Ventus, or he's me, whichever way you wanna put it. We're two halves of the same whole, split into pure Darkness and pure Light."

Aqua gawked at him for several seconds, obviously stunned. "Ven is nothing like you!" she protested.

"That's exactly what I just said, idiot. Light and Darkness are opposites; of course we're nothing alike."

"No, I mean—! There's no way you and he could be the same person," she continued to argue, shaking her head as if that could make it any less true.

Oh, of course. Aqua couldn't accept that her poor precious 'Ven' used to have more Darkness in him than Terra. Time to tell her how harsh the truth could really be.

"It was Xehanort's doing. The only way to create the X-Blade is with a perfect balance of Light and Darkness," Vanitas explained. "Xehanort wanted us— me to balance the Light and Darkness within myself, back when I was Ventus. I, he— Ventus I mean, was too weak and refused to use the Darkness. 'Cause he refused, Xehanort broke his, my— our heart into two pieces. Ventus got the pathetic Light half, and I got the Darkness, which is why I'm stronger."

Aqua stared at him. He could see her trying to process all the information. Even though she was leagues smarter than Terra, she still couldn't understand any of it. Or refused to. Finally, she narrowed her eyes.

"Ven is still stronger than you. The X-Blade broke; that's proof enough."

"Shut up. Ventus's fragile little heart was in shreds after we got separated. He'd still be comatose if somebody hadn't plugged up all the holes. Even then he was practically a zombie when the old man dumped him on your doorstep."

That seemed to catch Aqua off guard. "Someone had to… heal his heart? Xehanort?"

Vanitas snorted. "Unlikely." No way Xehanort would've shared his heart with that loser. Besides… "If he had, Ventus's heart wouldn't be pure Light."

"…What about your heart? Who healed you?" Aqua asked, regarding him with an expression he didn't recognize.

Vanitas blinked. Well, that was the thing, now wasn't it. His Dark heart was still full of holes, causing him near constant pain and bleeding Unversed wherever he went. Information Aqua didn't need to know.

"As I said, I'm the better half. I didn't need help," he answered instead. "It was Ventus who needed to get stronger, and the Unversed were the perfect opponents."

To emphasize his point, Vanitas allowed his Annoyance to manifest as a Red Hot Chili, holding the Unversed tightly in his grasp; it sizzled against his palm. He mentally willed it to reduce its temperature to a more acceptable level, uncomfortably warm rather than scorching hot.

Aqua had taken a sharp intake of breath and narrowed her eyes, but otherwise her mysterious expression didn't change.

"They were created when he and I were split into two," Vanitas explained. "The negativity took shape as these monsters; a horde of fledgling emotions under my control. Infinite and completely replaceable." He reabsorbed the Chili, its heat spreading up his arm and settling in his chest. "No matter how many times you defeat them, their negativity flows right back into me."

"You made all those Unversed just to train Ventus?" Aqua asked.

"Somebody had to break that loser in," he shrugged. "Once his power was equal to mine, our hearts were ready to be rejoined. Then, when we clashed in battle, the X-Blade would be forged."

"But it didn't work," she said dully.

"Obviously." Vanitas grit his teeth. Why hadn't it worked properly? He had yet to figure that out. It was as if something had blocked his heart from correctly aligning with Ventus's; instead of merging fully together, Vanitas had felt like a puzzle piece jammed in the wrong place.

Aqua looked lost in thought. Finally she spoke up, somehow managing to meet his eyes despite the mask. "Xehanort used you and Ven for a weapon. He used all of us."

'Us'? Since when was he ever included in an 'us'? He finally realized what her expression was; it was pity. How dare she look at him that way; Vanitas wanted to hurt her for it.

She continued, oblivious to his mounting anger. "He tricked Terra into killing Master Eraqus and took over his body. We were all just pawns in his scheme."

"'We'? Don't you dare compare me to Ventus and Terra! I was an accomplice, not a victim."

"You didn't ask to be split in two," she pointed out.

"And I didn't hesitate when Xehanort ordered me to spread the Unversed throughout the Worlds!" he snarled. "I wanted the Worlds to suffer. I wanted to forge the X-Blade. And I wanted a second Keyblade War."

"Why?" Aqua asked suddenly.

The simple question caught Vanitas off guard. No one had ever asked him why he did anything. The answer should have been obvious.

Why…?

Because he was empty, and Xehanort had given him purpose. Because he was in agony, and the War would make everyone else suffer. Because he was broken, and the X-Blade would make him whole. It had been his sole reason for living; a light at the far end of a long, pitch-black tunnel.

Aqua was staring at him expectantly. He had almost forgotten she was there.

"…Does it matter? I'm tired of answering your questions. Go bother some Heartless or something." He refused to meet her piercing blue gaze.

"You're the one who came to me," she pointed out, the disappointment over his non-answer plain on her face.

"Yeah? And now I'm the one leaving," he countered and swiftly walked away. He needed some air.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aqua didn't want to believe it. Ventus and Vanitas couldn't possibly be the same person. Vanitas was just some faceless monster, trying to trick her with lies. That was the only explanation. Except… what he'd said was far too elaborate to be a lie, nor had it sounded like he was lying. But if Vanitas was telling the truth…

She remembered Ventus with those horrible, Darkness-induced yellow eyes. Was that really what he'd been like before losing his memories? Vanitas had said Ventus hadn't been a 'good person' back when he was Xehanort's apprentice. If he'd had enough Darkness in his heart to create a being like Vanitas…

The Dark being in question had skulked off somewhere, but for once Aqua welcomed having some time alone. She needed to clear her head. The air outside wasn't any less stale than the air inside, so she decided to go exploring. The Heartless she and Vanitas had encountered that morning had been of the lesser varieties, so she didn't feel in danger scouting out the third floor. A few small Heartless —Shadows, Vanitas had called them— were brave enough to attack, but she dispatched them quickly.

Aqua soon came across a fairly large set of oak doors. Curious, she pushed them open. The room was dark. She lit a Fire spell and held it aloft. Yellow-eyed Shadows scattered like cockroaches in the bright light. The room was a library, and an expansive one at that. Tall curving bookshelves lined the walls and weaved between finely-crafted wooden tables and chairs. A ring of fat red couches and plush chairs sat in front of the fireplace. Her heart lit up in excitement. Aqua had always loved books, ever since she was little. No surprise considering she had practically grown up in her mother's bookshop.

She spent the next few minutes clearing out the lesser Heartless before lighting the fireplace. With a warm fire crackling in the hearth, the library looked much less gloomy. Aqua pulled back the thick curtains from the windows. The high tower of Tremaines' Château was visible from here.

Aqua searched the shelves for something to distract herself from her troubled thoughts. Reading always made her feel better. One book in particular caught her eye. It was slightly worn at the edges and adorned with silver trim and a red ribbon. Pulling it off the shelf, she instantly recognized it. La Belle et la Bête; the fairytale from her childhood. How had it found its way to this World? Settling down on the couch before the fireplace, Aqua turned to the first page, noted the beautiful watercolor illustrations, and began to read.

A few chapters later, Aqua found herself quite shocked to discover how similar the parallels between the fairytale and Cinderella's life were. She had remembered the Beast and enchanted castle from the story, but not Beauty's horrible sisters. Aqua glanced out of the window again, at the high tower in which Cinderella had been kept as little more than a slave by her own step-sisters. Yes, the two tales were similar. The only difference was that there was no Beast in Cinderella's story. Well, unless she counted the Unversed.

Cinderella's Fairy Godmother had advised Aqua against using Light to combat the Darkness. She had said a strong light would cast strong shadows; one couldn't exist without the other. Could the old fairy have been right? Master Eraqus had taught otherwise. Darkness was nothing but hate and rage; Aqua had seen it grow within Terra, corrupting his heart. It had destroyed the Tremaines. The Fairy Godmother had said Darkness couldn't be destroyed by Light, and what could was something Aqua was too young to understand. What could the old fairy have meant…?

Unlike the Tremaines, who'd given into Darkness willingly, Vanitas hadn't had a choice in the matter. He'd been created from the Darkness of Ven's heart via Xehanort ripping them in two. Who could possibly do that to another person, let alone his own apprentice? Maybe Xehanort was more monstrous than his own monster…

While Vanitas's mind still remained just as unfathomable as ever, Aqua was beginning to get a clearer picture of his past. Whatever his life under Xehanort had been, it hadn't been pleasant or easy. Perhaps she would've felt sympathy for him if he hadn't tried to kill her and her friends.

Although… had he been trying to kill her? It'd certainly seemed that way at the time, but then there was that curious incident in Neverland. For whatever reason, despite having the opportunity to kill her while she was unconscious, Vanitas had disappeared after their duel. Why had he spared her life? Would he tell her if she asked?

If Light shouldn't fight the Darkness, then perhaps Aqua had been approaching this whole situation with Vanitas incorrectly. She had been thinking of him as little better than a Heartless; intelligent, but not human. But… he had a heart; his Keyblade was proof enough of that. If Vanitas had once been a part of Ventus, then perhaps she could appeal to that heart, no matter how Dark or twisted it had become.

It didn't matter what Ven used to be like, Aqua decided. She hadn't given up on Terra, even when he'd been consumed by Darkness. And as for Vanitas… Perhaps she just hoped that her only companion in the Realm of Darkness wasn't completely evil.

Aqua bookmarked her place with the ribbon and sighed. It was time to find Vanitas.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Castle Town looked so small from where Vanitas leaned on the balcony of one of the Castle's many tall towers, its twinkling lights sparkling in the distance. He would've dismissed his visor just to get some fresh air, but it was stale even this high up. He'd rather keep his mask on, anyway. He had come up here to brood; Aqua didn't need to see his every emotion.

Beyond Castle Town were the deep forests of the Dwarf Woodlands, yet another World swallowed by Darkness. What lay further on was impossible to see, as the landscape faded into the gloom. Despite the presence of trees and the Heartless, the Dark World was no more truly alive than the Keyblade Graveyard; an empty, desolate wasteland. There were only two living beings in the Realm of Darkness. Vanitas was one of them, and soon he would have to destroy the other.

Could he really bring himself to kill Aqua? He hadn't been able to thus far, nor had he lied about never killing a human being. Sure, Vanitas had felt the urge; he'd wanted to kill both her and Ventus several times, but had never followed through. Why not? Wasn't he a creature of Darkness? Wasn't he supposed to be a killer?

Vanitas summoned his Keyblade, its twin reptilian eyes reflecting his dark mask. Void Gear was a weapon designed to kill, was it not? That was what it was for; a dark reflection of his own Dark heart. Killing people should be easy.

Maybe he was thinking too much. In the Badlands, between sessions of tort— training, Vanitas had nothing but time to think. Aqua kept making him think about things he'd thought he had long since buried, foolish old wants and desires that could never be fulfilled.

'Do you think, if Xehanort had brought you to live with us… you could've been different?'

For a moment, Vanitas allowed himself to imagine it. Him, going to train with Master Eraqus, leaving Ventus behind in the Badlands. Him, having a warm bed and food and friends to laugh with, instead of growing up in a barren wasteland with just himself and his monsters and the old man for company. Not being beaten, not being lonely. Being raised by people who actually cared—

Vanitas choked on his own thoughts as a sharp pain laced through his broken heart. He clutched the balcony rail so hard that the wood splintered beneath his palms.

Disgusting. Pathetic. He didn't need friends; they were a liability. Look where friendship got Aqua; abandoned in the Dark World. A bed would've made him soft. Just look at Ventus; asleep forever. Food? He had his Prize Pods; he could take care of himself. The pain in his chest settled to a dull ache.

What Aqua suggested hadn't happened. It could never have happened, so why wish it? Why dream it? Dreams never came true. Not just by wishing, anyway. She was an idiot. Why waste time thinking about anything she said? Once he merged their hearts, Aqua would shut up once and for all. There would be no one to ask him stupid annoying questions. No one to pointlessly argue with him over petty things that didn't matter anymore. No one to stare at him with eyes full of pity. No one to… to do anything with at all.

He would be alone.

…So what? He was stronger than his loneliness. He had already endured four years of it. Vanitas wouldn't let such an insignificant speck of an emotion get in the way of his plan.

His plan, which now looked like it would fall apart at the seams. Now that he thought about it, his reasons for doing what he did, Vanitas was reminded of how little of his own idea this entire fiasco really was. It had been Xehanort who'd given him the task of forging the X-Blade. Beyond simply killing himself, it was the only way for Vanitas to make his suffering just end, or so his Master had claimed…

'Xehanort used you for a weapon…'

Of course Vanitas had known he was being used. The X-Blade was his purpose, the reason his Master had created him in the first place. Xehanort never had any other reason for keeping him around. But something about Aqua saying it out loud like that made it sound so much worse…

A voice in his head whispered that too many pieces were missing from his plan. Aqua's heart wasn't pure Light. They weren't in the Keyblade Graveyard. Without the X-Blade, merging hearts might not even be possible. He was wasting his time and should've killed her yesterday.

Vanitas told that voice to shut the hell up.

Aqua's Light was strong enough. He didn't need the X-Blade. His plan had to work. It was his only hope.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aqua found Vanitas leaning on a balcony rail, staring down onto the landscape below. She approached him slowly, allowing her footsteps to echo as to not startle him.

"May I join you?" she asked.

Vanitas gave a noncommittal grunt, but it was better than a growl or a snarl, so Aqua assumed she could approach him. His scent wasn't nearly as overpowering as it had been yesterday. She stood by his side just out of arm's reach, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. With his mask, it was impossible to tell exactly what he was looking at.

Silence reigned for several minutes. Nothing moved. No breeze tousled her hair, no bugs chirped. Not even Heartless could be seen from this height. Everything was still, save for the breathing that moved her and Vanitas both. The everlasting night and silence of the Dark World was absolute.

Aqua turned her gaze upwards. Not a single star hung in the sky; it was black as pitch. A wave of forlorn nostalgia hit her. The night sky in the Land of Departure had been so clear and the stars so bright… Ventus had always loved the stars, gazing up at them with childlike wonder. Was Vanitas the same?

"I wish there were stars here," she lamented. Vanitas seemed to study her for a moment —it was so hard to tell— before lifting his head towards the empty sky. He remained silent, so Aqua continued. "Ven and I used to stargaze all the time back home. We'd stare at them for hours. Terra says that every star is another World, and the light is their hearts shining down on us like a million lanterns. We always dreamed of visiting those far off places…" If Vanitas hated the mention of her friends, he didn't show it, didn't move. "I especially miss the constellations. In each World they were different."

"Constellations?" he finally spoke.

"Mhm. If you imagine lines connecting each star, they form pictures."

"…I never noticed," Vanitas said quietly.

"Not much one for stargazing?" she asked. Too busy terrorizing the Worlds?

"No, not really. I never liked the stars," he admitted. "They remind me of the Heartless. Like millions of glowing eyes." Vanitas wrapped his arms around himself as if taken by a sudden chill, but the air remained still. "Neoshadows especially…" The slight tremble in his voice made him almost seem… scared.

"You're afraid of the Heartless? But you're both…" She trailed off as he suddenly stiffened, arms now tense at his sides. Maybe she had been mistaken in her assumption.

"I'm not afraid of anything," Vanitas snapped. "I just don't particularly care for things that eat hearts, seeing as —contrary to what you believe— I have one. What, you think just 'cause we're both Dark, we'd get along?" he asked acidly. "Are you buddy-buddy with everyone in the Realm of Light?"

Aqua blinked and pondered his question. There had been many people who she had fought throughout her journey. The Tremaines were the first to come to mind, then Maleficent and Hades. No, she had not gotten along with everyone in the Realm of Light, but that was because…

"The people I fought were evil. Maleficent and Hades used Darkness to hurt others for their own personal gain. The Tremaines gave in to the Darkness in their hearts and it overtook them. Is a heart of Darkness really so different from a Heartless?" she mused.

She instantly regretted her words. Vanitas's arms were shaking, hands clenched into fists. Waves of fetid Darkness rolled off him and she could feel the glare from behind his mask.

"Shut the fuck up. I don't need your lecture," he fumed. "I'm nothing like the Heartless. There's nothing in the Worlds like me, so stop pretending like you know a damn thing!"

"I've… offended you," Aqua said quietly. The revelation came as a surprise. She hadn't known he could be offended.

Vanitas laughed bitterly and turned away. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm far more offensive than you could ever hope to be. The fact that I exist is an offense enough."

Aqua wanted to apologize; she really did. But he was already leaving and the words stuck in her throat. Vanitas had confessed something to her, she realized. Something that he'd probably never told anyone. Whether his dislike of the Heartless was more out of fear or hatred she couldn't tell, but it was something they had mutual ground on. His show of vulnerability disturbed her. It didn't feel right for a being of Darkness to be afraid, especially not of his own kind.

Darkness was supposed to be nothing but hate and rage, but that wasn't really true, was it. Vanitas could feel emotions beyond anger. Fear, for one. And he'd been almost friendly until something she'd said had set him off.

Aqua sighed. She wasn't quite sure if she was making any progress or just wasting her time. Was talking to him really worth it? In a few days she would be ready to leave the Castle of Dreams and continue her search for the Realm of Light.

As it stood, Aqua had little intention of bringing Vanitas along.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

How could he have been so stupid? Aqua had got him talking about stars of all things, and he'd just confessed a weakness out loud like it was nothing! And then she went and practically called him a Heartless… Why did he keep letting his guard down? Was he really that lonely? Should he just go and spill his guts about everything he feared?

Like Xehanort and empty spaces and being broken and—

Vanitas doubled over as Floods and Yellow Mustards burst from his shoulders. He swore and summoned Void Gear, slicing his Keyblade through each Unversed before it could escape. He braced himself against the wall as the pain and emotions returned to him. Why did he always feel this way after talking to her?

After their first encounter, when his wayward Bruiser had almost killed her, Vanitas tried to hold back his Unversed when speaking with Aqua. This time, doing so caused his fledgling emotions to build up so much that he'd had to run off and release them somewhere secluded.

She already knew what he was, so why hadn't he just unleashed them in front of her? Fear of loneliness if she left him? He could survive without her. Some vain desire to pretend he wasn't a monster? Humans didn't summon Dark creatures every time they felt anger or sadness or fear.

Maybe I really am more like a Heartless than a human being.

Vanitas shoved the thought to the back of his mind. Did he feel like this because he was holding back? He'd never held conversations this long before, other than with his Master of course, and Xehanort hadn't cared if his conversations —insults, beatings— made Vanitas produce Unversed. The old man had encouraged it, in fact.

Vanitas's heart had been bleeding Unversed ever since he'd entered the Realm of Darkness. Something about the Dark World was enhancing their negativity, making them harder to control. He hated it. Relying too much on the disgusting creatures made him feel worthless, like he couldn't do anything by himself. It was why he always held them back during combat, fighting Ventus and Aqua without the Unversed's interference.

Maybe that was what he needed to bolster his self-control and keep his emotions in check. A sparring match, one-on-one. He would prove to Aqua that he wasn't afraid; that he wasn't weak.

Vanitas had waited four years to merge his heart with another's. His plan could wait a little longer.

Aqua wasn't going anywhere.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Castle of Dreams had become quite dull. Aqua took to long reading sessions in the library to distract from her boredom. The place had become a sort of sanctuary for her; unlike the kitchen, she didn't have to share it with Vanitas— not that he seemed to have much interest in it in the first place. Aqua had never seen him read a book, nor go anywhere near the library in general.

In fact, Vanitas seemed to be avoiding her on purpose. Aqua wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He'd been so eager to approach her before, always ready with some taunt or jab, but now he barely spoke to her anymore. Well, it wasn't as if she particularly wanted to speak with him, anyway. None of their conversations ever ended well. The few times she saw Vanitas were usually when they passed each other on the way to and from the kitchen. His body always seemed to be filled with a certain tension. Aqua didn't know what to make of that, either, but it made her anxious.

Yesterday she had found a Chrono Twister broken on the floor in a hallway. The hourglass-shaped Unversed had been smashed, purple sand slipping from its shattered glass and the small black body of the Unversed flopping around like a dying fish. Vanitas's bootprints had been in the sand. Aqua had speared the Chrono Twister with her Keyblade to put it out of its misery, and it vanished in a puff of purple smoke. Was Vanitas taking out his frustration on his own creations?

On the third day after their talk on the balcony —or at least what she thought was the third day, it was so hard to keep track— Vanitas confronted her in the foyer, wordlessly jerking his head towards the ballroom. Aqua warily followed him up the stairs. Once they reached the ballroom, Vanitas silently turned to face her and summoned his Keyblade.

So this was it, then. He'd finally decided to kill her. Well, there was no way she would let that happen.

As soon as Master Keeper was in her hand, he lunged at her, swinging his Keyblade in a wide arc. Aqua blocked and countered with a quick thrust, which Vanitas easily dodged. He backpedaled and skirted around her, ducking another of her strikes before closing in. Aqua cartwheeled out of the way, careful to avoid getting too close to the pillars. Being backed into a corner could prove fatal.

They continued their deadly dance of clashing Keyblades, but Aqua knew she couldn't keep evading him forever. Both of them would tire soon, and that meant making mistakes. She needed to end this quickly.

The next time their Keyblades locked, Aqua allowed her arms to go slack, slipping under his Keyblade with ease. Vanitas gave a grunt of surprise as she swerved around him and delivered a swift steel-toed kick to the back of his knee; his leg buckled and he stumbled forwards. Aqua took that opportunity to slash Master Keeper across his shoulder, deep enough to draw blood. She jumped back as he struck out in retaliation, readying her stance to go in for another blow, but stopped in place when she noticed Vanitas's shoulders were shaking not from pain, but laughter.

"So…" he drawled. "You've finally decided to get serious."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, rather unnerved.

Vanitas just snickered in response. He charged towards her once again and Aqua took a defensive stance. Just as he was in range, she swung her Keyblade forwards, only to meet empty air.

Where did he—?!

"Too slow."

Gasping, she spun around to see a dark blur bearing down on her. Aqua's eyes went wide as Vanitas's Keyblade came hurtling towards her, but at the last second he flipped its angle so she was struck with the flat of the blade. She staggered back, a sharp realization dawning on her.

He's not going for the kill. What, does he think this is some kind of game?

"That really all you got?" Vanitas taunted, flash-stepping several more times across the ballroom like a child showing off. Aqua grit her teeth. If this was a game, she was in no mood to play.

Time to end this.

Vanitas used his near teleport-like ability to rapidly close the distance between them, but this time Aqua was ready for him. Instead of raising her Keyblade, she swept his legs, tripping him out of the flash-step. Twirling Master Keeper in her hands, she struck Vanitas in the back with the hilt of her Keyblade hard enough to send him careening face-first into the floor. His helmet connected with the hard tile with a resounding crack!

"Ven! I'm so sorry—" Aqua gasped before slapping a hand over her mouth. But if Vanitas had heard her mistake, he hadn't reacted. In fact, as she stared in horror, he wasn't moving at all.

Oh Light, I've given him a concussion…

Aqua rushed to his side. Just as she touched his shoulder, Vanitas's hysterical laughter suddenly filled the room. She flinched and stumbled back.

"Not… bad… at all," he grunted breathlessly and rolled onto his back, arms splayed out at his sides and fits of manic laughter still shaking his frame. "You're a hell… of a lot more fun… than the Heartless," he panted.

That's what this was about? He wanted to blow off steam?

"You're insane," Aqua shook her head, but then noticed his helmet. "Vanitas, your mask—"

The glassy surface had broken in several places, and through the sharp edges she could see a large yellow eye staring back at her. He had insisted he wasn't a Heartless, but that gold glittering eye…

Vanitas suddenly jumped up with a rather acrobatic move, feeling along the sharp edges of his cracked visor. Aqua watched with a mixture of fascination and dread as it melted away from his face, the broken glass receding until only the jagged metal portion of the helmet remained on his jaw. One shard of glass had cut into his cheek, and he wiped the blood away with his thumb.

Aqua gasped. She couldn't help but stare. Out of all the things she had expected Vanitas to look like, —hideous or deformed or with a mouth full of fangs— it hadn't been this.

He was… human.

Despite his harsh, deep voice and muscular build, he was just a teenager; a couple years younger than her, around the same age as Ven. In fact, the boys' faces would be nearly identical if not for the rat's nest of spiky black hair that fell over his golden eyes. How in the Worlds did he fit all that hair under his helmet?

Vanitas's lips twisted into an amused smirk. "Like what you see?"

Aqua sputtered in shock, trying to regain her composure. "You have a face?!" she squeaked.

"Yeah, what did you expect?" he said, his features falling into a defensive scowl.

"I didn't— Wait a minute." She leaned in for a closer look. He backed away from her, a mixture of confusion and worry evident in his expression. She could see why he wore the mask. Without its dark obscuring glass, every change in his emotions was extremely obvious. But that wasn't the most fascinating part. The large round eyes, the dark unruly hair… Ventus wasn't the only person he resembled.

"I recognize… Vanitas, your face— You look just like a boy I met on Destiny Islands."

"What?" he blinked.

A sudden thought clicked into place. "You said Ven was brought to the Land of Departure just after you two were split, right? That was four years ago," she said.

"Yeah, so?"

"That boy, he couldn't have been more than four years old. I'm sure when he's older he'll look just like you." The child's age and the date of Vanitas's creation, combined with their shared appearance, lined up too perfectly to be mere coincidence.

"Really," he scoffed and crossed his arms. "You're comparing me to a four-year-old? You're an even bigger idiot than I thought. I don't even know the brat."

"His name is Sora."

Vanitas's body suddenly went slack. Aqua grabbed his shoulders to keep him from toppling over. "Vanitas?" she asked worriedly.

Maybe he really does have a concussion…

His expression went from blank to searching, golden eyes narrowing before he muttered, "Ventus knows this kid… this… Sora." Vanitas said the name with slow uncertainty, as if tasting it. "There's some connection."

"Maybe that's why you have his face."

Vanitas abruptly growled and wrenched free from her grip. Aqua gasped at the influx of Darkness radiating off him. She could see the twisted red eyes of the Unversed peeking out from the billowing black smoke.

"My face is my own," Vanitas snarled, his bared teeth and yellow eyes giving off more the impression of a wild animal than a human being. Before Aqua could react, he turned on his heel and swiftly summoned his visor, the dark glass obscuring his face once more. She could only stand there and stare after him. That sudden aggression, where had it come from? She looked down at the bloody shards of glass and chipped tile that glinted in the candlelight.

Aqua suddenly felt very foolish.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vanitas made sure to lock the door behind himself before he let out his Unversed, though it wouldn't stop Aqua from opening it with her Keyblade. Hot, thick Rage boiled over into physical form, filling the small room with fat, Angry Bruisers. It had taken a great deal of effort to not let the emotions escape and tear Aqua apart right then and there. Vanitas almost wanted to praise himself on his self-restraint.

Dueling Aqua had told him multiple things. He could still hold his Unversed back in combat, so they weren't entirely uncontrollable. Aqua was still a thrill to fight and had fully regained her strength. However, Vanitas had not felt the same tug on his heart as he had with Ventus, the same sparks that would blossom into the X-Blade. Aqua had nothing left to offer him. She refused to tell him the location of Ventus, and was useless for the merge.

And for whatever reason, she thought he looked like some stupid kid. Like some… Sora.

The name placed a burning pressure upon his skull. More Unversed writhed within his heart, all searching for their opportunity to escape. His eyes watered from the effort of keeping them inside while he tasked himself with destroying the Unversed he had already released. Floods of Distress, Scrappers of Insecurity, and Triple Wreckers of Confusion and Doubt were smothered by the returning Rage of the Bruisers.

Get ahold of yourself, damn it.

His sense of self was slipping again. He had to hold on to his identity, who and what he was. His name was Vanitas; a heart of pure Darkness created for the sole purpose of forging the X-Blade with his counterpart, a heart of pure Light.

Ventus…

Xehanort had taken his other half somewhere right after they'd been split, and while his Master and Ventus were away, two things had happened. Vanitas had created his first Unversed, and he had gained a human face when he hadn't had one previously. What if wherever Xehanort had taken Ventus had been Destiny Islands?

Vanitas had only been there once in his life, to challenge Ventus to a duel in the Keyblade Graveyard. He hadn't seen anyone who looked like him on the Islands. Hell, he hadn't seen anyone else besides Ventus, but something had drawn him to the place as soon as his other half had arrived. Was it really something more than just his innate connection to Ventus that had guided him there? Some connection to this Sora?

Vanitas hated the thought. Didn't he have enough to deal with already? Ventus had already stolen his body and name. His face was the only part of himself that Vanitas didn't absolutely loathe, and now that wasn't his either; it belonged to some brat he hadn't even met.

Or… had he?

Vanitas closed his eyes, recalling what happened on that day four years ago, the day he had been born. A bright light, the sound of ocean waves, and a small voice so similar to his own…

'I'm a brand-new heart… The Light brought me… Join your heart with mine… Nothing else will slip away… Time to wake up now… All we need to do is…'

"Open the door," Vanitas whispered involuntarily. His body seized up before he looked around wildly for the source of the small voice, hands sweaty and shaking. Sora was the newborn heart Xehanort hadn't known about, the one who had healed Ventus's heart and given Vanitas a face. The reason why their merge had been unsuccessful and their hearts couldn't fully align; why the X-Blade had been weak.

Sora's heart was in the way.

Now that he knew the reason behind the X-Blade's instability, Vanitas no longer had need of a contingency plan. No… he just had to remove the 'blockage' from Ventus's heart, and his problem would be solved. Vanitas summoned Void Gear, the black-and-red Keyblade adorned with chains and gears and the icy blue eyes of a coldblooded serpent. This wicked thing really was a reflection of his Dark heart; the last piece of himself that he could truly call his own. A weapon designed for a single purpose.

Congratulations, Aqua. I've outgrown my need for you.

Vanitas was going to find this Sora.

And he was going to kill him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was time to leave. Of that, Aqua was certain. She should have left days ago, either after eating her first meal in the Castle or sneaking out while Vanitas was asleep. Rummaging through the kitchen, she wrapped up as much food as she could carry and stowed it in a pouch on her hip. She didn't know where Vanitas was, but soon it wouldn't matter. Aqua had tried to appeal to him. None of her efforts had gotten through.

Even if Vanitas had once been a part of Ventus, even if he did have a heart, he was nothing like Ven now. Vanitas had said they were opposites, different in every possible way. He was absolutely right. Ventus was good and kind, a being of pure Light; Vanitas was evil and cruel, a being of pure Darkness.

Speaking with him and seeing his face… It had made him seem so human that for a moment she'd forgotten what he really was; a monster. He had hurt innocent people with his Unversed, possessed Ventus to forge the X-Blade, and tried to start a second Keyblade War. And all for what? He'd never given her a reason.

Did a demon need a reason to commit evil?

Master Eraqus was right; Darkness really was just hate and rage. And Vanitas had the Darkest heart of all. Reason had nothing to do with it; he was just deranged, out of control. Attacking her out of the blue like that, without explaining it was just a sparring match… They could've killed each other! What would happen the next time he attacked her, and she thought it was for real? Or worse, she didn't think it was real, and let her guard down?

With mood swings that volatile, consistency in his behavior just wasn't something she could rely on. It was only a matter of time before Vanitas got bored or angry enough to become truly violent. Even though Aqua was sure she could defeat him if it came to that, she'd rather not take the risk.

It didn't matter that Vanitas had spared her life in Neverland and saved her from the giant Heartless. It didn't matter that his Master had fractured his heart and wiped his memories against his will. It didn't matter if he felt upset or scared or lonely. It didn't even matter who he looked like, whether it be her best friend or a little boy or anyone else.

It… it didn't matter. It didn't.

Aqua squeezed her eyes shut as an ache formed in her chest, right over her heart. To think she had actually started to care about him… She had to leave before she changed her mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aqua was lost in thought as she walked the stone path through the woods back to Castle Town. For some reason the atmosphere seemed darker than she remembered. A realization struck her; the road was only being illuminated by the light of the Castle of Dreams. There weren't any lights coming from Castle Town.

What is going on…?

Aqua stopped in her tracks and peered into the darkness. A faint rustling caught her attention. Heartless? She summoned Master Keeper as a precaution, but no yellow eyes stared out from the gloom.

The rustling was growing louder. She cast a simple Fire spell to illuminate the darkness. What she saw made her gasp in shock. Up ahead, stretching and flowing across the entire path like a great wave, was a wild forest of thorny red vines that twisted and writhed like a nest of serpents.

Aqua shrieked as a vine shot out and wrapped around her left wrist, digging sharp thorns deeply into her flesh. She sliced through it with her Keyblade, only for more vines to wrap around her booted ankles. Her feet were yanked out from under her and she crashed to the ground, by some miracle holding on to Master Keeper in a vice grip.

She cried out a second time as a thorny vine raked against her calves, shredding the thin black fabric of her stockings. Bright rivulets of blood ran down her wounded hand and legs, staining her clothing. Aqua let loose a hot blast of Firaga, burning away most of the vines that had grabbed her, but fresh ones replaced them and renewed their assault. She slashed and burned, trying to escape, but for every vine she destroyed two more took its place.

A voice suddenly called out to her from the direction of the Castle. "Aqua! Get away from there!" It was Vanitas, his heavy footsteps pounding down the stone path towards her as the vines tried to drag her off into the gloom.

"I'm trying!" Aqua called back. She twisted her body around, scrambling for purchase on the stone tile and attempting to kick her legs free.

Vanitas ran towards her, Keyblade in hand and dark mask hiding his emotions. He summoned a blast of Dark Firaga which ignited the vines near Aqua, the black fire burning dangerously close to her face. Vanitas caught up with her and cut through the vines that were clinging to her torso. The ones around her legs tugged powerfully towards the writhing nest.

In a panic, Aqua tightly grabbed on to Vanitas's wrist. He gave a yelp, wrenching free as if burned. The vines took that opportunity to drag her further down the path, the prickly thorns slicing through her skin.

"No you idiot, come back! Aqua!" His voice became more distant as the light of the Castle of Dreams was completely cut off by the vines.

Aqua cast a Barrier around herself, the hexagonal bubble of protective magic pushing the vines away from her body. She sat panting in the middle of the magic sphere, her legs heavily injured and her stockings and left sleeve soaked in blood. The vines crowded around the Barrier, searching for any weakness to push through.

She'd never held a Barrier spell for so long. Soon, her Mana would be depleted and the spell would break. Not for the first time, Aqua wished more than anything that Terra and Ven were with her. She dug out her Wayfinder and held it close. The blue star-shaped charm twinkled in the soft magical light of the Barrier. She was in so much pain, but she refused to cry; she had to stay strong for her friends. Aqua squeezed her Wayfinder and whispered a quick prayer.

"Terra, Ven… lend me strength."

She stood as best she could on legs shaky from blood loss and torn muscles, bracing herself with Master Keeper. The light of the Barrier was fading; the spines and thorns were piercing through tiny cracks in the magic bubble's armor.

Aqua steeled herself. She would fight for her life to get out of here, burn down the whole forest if she had to. The path back to the Castle was almost a straight shot. She could do this, but she would have to be quick. Let down the Barrier, cast Curaga, then run for her life. Aqua would be out of Mana once she used her healing spell, so fire magic would be out of the question for at least a little while. She'd have to rely on her Keyblade.

Suddenly Vanitas's urgent voice cut through the creaking and rustling of the vines. "Aqua?! Where the hell are you?!"

She couldn't believe it. She'd thought he had abandoned her…!

"Vanitas! I'm here!" Aqua called towards a steadily increasing glow of black and orange fire.

Vanitas was carving a path through the vines, an entourage of Red Hot Chilis circling around him. Burning ash and billowing black smoke filled the air as the vines focused on their new target. One pierced through a Chili, shattering the pot-shaped Unversed and spilling its molten insides over the other vines which sizzled and writhed, chaotically attacking anything within their reach. Vanitas swore as he cut through a flaming vine that'd launched itself at him.

Aqua coughed as smoke filled her lungs and stung her eyes. The Barrier fizzled out just as Vanitas finally reached her. He dismissed his Keyblade and offered her his hand. She stared at his open palm, then to his dark mask. All she could see was the raging inferno reflected upon its glassy surface. Time seemed to slow as the forest burned down around them, monsters of Darkness setting fire to thorny red vines.

Aqua was in hell, and now the devil was asking for her hand.

She accepted his waiting palm.

Vanitas pulled Aqua close and scooped her up into his arms. The Darkness of his heart coiled around her like a vice, heavy and oppressive, but she didn't let go. He turned back down the way he came, holding on to her tightly as he broke out into a run. The vines were all around them once again, having killed off most of the Chilis. Aqua helped clear the way in front of them, though with her arm movement limited she relied more on fire magic than her Keyblade.

The vines ahead thickened into a thorny thicket, trying their best to block their escape. Aqua concentrated, charging her Focus towards the end of her Keyblade and unleashing a devastating Prism Rain Shotlock which sent red wood and thorns splintering in all directions. She and Vanitas finally burst free. The Castle gates were just up ahead.

A horrible crack rang out as the ground caved in around them, dragged down by the vines. The rumbling of earth and creaking of wood drowned out all other sounds as the forest was swallowed into the inky pit of darkness. Another Red Hot Chili died, and Vanitas stumbled.

They weren't going to make it.

Vanitas heaved Aqua through the air and she landed painfully in front of the gates. With a hacking cough she expelled a lungful of black smoke. Master Keeper clattered beside her. The ground collapsed underneath Vanitas's feet as he launched himself towards the newly forming cliffside. He scrambled for purchase on the crumbling path, grabbing fistfuls of dirt and broken tile. Freshly formed Yellow Mustards tumbled into the chasm below.

Aqua scrambled towards Vanitas and took ahold of his wrists. This time he didn't reject her touch. She strained to lift him, but her efforts were in vain. Her own panicked face was reflected in his dark mask's scratched surface.

He's too heavy.

She couldn't pull him up, not with her injured legs. Vanitas was going to die, and Aqua realized that she desperately didn't want that to happen. He slipped further down and a colony of screeching Axe Flappers took wing.

"Aqua, don't let go! Please don't let go. Please." He'd never sounded so afraid.

"I won't. I've got you," she reassured him to cover her own fear.

Frantically, Aqua tried to think of a plan. A Zero Gravity spell would do the trick, but the cliff was crumbling faster than her Mana could recharge. The Axe Flappers swooped towards her, their tiny talons outstretched.

"Vanitas, your Unversed! Do something!" Why would he command them to attack her? Did he want her to let go? The Axe Flappers clawed at her arms, but to her surprise they dug into the fabric of her sleeves rather than her flesh. Some had also perched on Vanitas's shoulders, and were flapping with all their might.

It was working. The Unversed were pulling them away from the cliff's edge.

Vanitas's feet finally found their purchase and Aqua was able to hoist him up. She lay on the broken pathway, panting as she watched the Axe Flappers disperse, the chiropteran Unversed flying away to parts unknown. The last surviving Red Hot Chili eyed Aqua angrily before Vanitas gave a half-snarled, "Oh, no you don't," and shattered it with a bolt of Dark Thunder.

He stumbled past her to lean against the gate's supporting pillar. With trembling hands he pulled off his helmet, shaking out his mess of spiky black hair. Vanitas didn't even glance her way as he tended to the scratches on the mask's glassy surface, sealing them shut with Darkness.

Aqua turned her attention to herself. Her legs were covered in scratches and puncture wounds and her stockings and sleeves were in tatters. There would be no salvaging her clothing this time. Overall, the damage was actually rather minimal considering the situation, thanks to her Barrier spell. With her Mana finally recharged, Aqua cast Curaga and watched with morbid fascination as her torn flesh knitted itself back together. It was a good thing healing magic was an instant painkiller.

Standing on shaking legs, she looked out to where the road used to be; a great yawning abyss had taken its place. Aqua sent a Fire spell across the chasm. The tiny fireball illuminated what she had feared. Castle Town was completely overrun with vines, some curling down into the depths of the ravine.

There was no going back.

Aqua heard a thump and turned around just in time to see Vanitas slide down the stone pillar and collapse on the ground next to his half-repaired helmet, leaving a trail of bright red blood glistening in his wake.

"Vanitas?!" She rushed over to him, hesitating only a moment before grasping his shoulders to keep him in a sitting position. He slowly blinked at her, his yellow eyes greyed and dull.

"Don't… touch me…" he slurred without venom. Vanitas tried to stand but ended up falling against her. Aqua gasped at his heavy weight and struggled to readjust him into a supine position on her lap. Her hands became wet and sticky with his blood.

How hadn't she noticed his injuries before? The red thorns may have only scratched his helmet, but they had left a number of deep, bleeding puncture wounds in his back where he hadn't been able to defend himself. Why hadn't he cast Curaga?

Vanitas held up his hand, slick with his own blood. An odd grin broke out over his face, his eyes glazed and unfocused as he traced his bloody fingers across her cheek. Aqua flinched at the contact but Vanitas didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, Aqua…" he chuckled deliriously. "Monsters don't bleed red, right…?" The smile suddenly slid from his features as he slumped in her arms, hand hitting the grass and head lolling back. He had passed out. She stared at him, bewildered. What in the Worlds did he mean by that?

Monsters…?

That was what he was, wasn't he? A creature of Darkness, hate, and rage. An evil, insane demon who caused nothing but pain and misery to all those around him.

So why? Why would he do this?

If Vanitas was just hate and rage, then why had he expressed desperation and worry for her safety? If he was evil, then why would he risk his life for her? Demons didn't sacrifice themselves because they were bored. If it was insanity, well… maybe Vanitas was crazy. Crazy enough to rush into a burning forest of razor-sharp thorns to save her life.

Vanitas suddenly looked very small, cradled in her arms. His breathing was becoming more shallow by the second and he was losing blood, fast. The cut on his cheek from their earlier duel stood out red against his pallid skin, even more so than the unhealthy dark circles beneath his eyes. Even through his bodysuit she could feel his temperature drop.

He was dying.

Whether or not he was a monster suddenly didn't matter. Vanitas was a teenage boy with a human heart who desperately needed her help. Sitting there in the silent gloom, holding on to the one companion she had in the Realm of Darkness, Aqua realized that she couldn't bring herself to hate him, anymore.

Thanks for reading!